Wagon-brake.



.No. 868,719. PATENTED OCT. 22. 1907.

T. J. STEPHENS.

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@Wihwauo '35 a Q r WW 0 o I THOMAS J. STEPHENS, OF JULIAETTA, IDAHO.

WAGON-BRAKE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application filed September 26, 1906. $e a N 1 836,330.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. STEPi-rENs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Juliaetta, in the county of Latah and State ofIdaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

signed chiefly for different makes of wagon racks such as are used forhauling wood, grain, ore and the like, the mechanism being of suchconstruction as also to be readily attached to any farm wagon.

The invention has relation more particularly to the means whereby poweris applied for setting the brakes, the construction being such as toenable the driver to have both hands free, the brake being manipulatedsolely by means of the foot and adapted to be locked when set and to beautomatically released when it is required to relieve the vehicle of theinfluence of the brake mechanism.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions bychanges in the structure and minor details without departing from thespirit or es sential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a part of a wagon body or rackprovided with brake setting mechanism embodying the invention. Fig. 2 isa detail view of the slide on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a detail view ofa portion of the rack bar, the slide and adjunctive parts, the samebeing illustrated on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing amodified form of dog which is spring actuated and automatically engageswith the teeth of the bar.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The numeral 1 indicates the vehicle body or rack to which the operatingparts embodying the invention are attached and which body or rack may beof any design or make according to the special purpose for whichdesigned. Uprights 2 are secured to opposite sides of the vehicle bodyor rack and support the said springs 3 and irons 4-, the latter havingopposite end portions projected beyond the vertical edges of theuprights and upwardly deflected to receive the bolster or lower elementof the s at springs. A foot rest 5 is located forward of the uprightsand the seat 6. A rack bar 7 is arranged in advance of the seat andprojects over the foot rest and is attached at one end to the latter byconnection at its rear end with the uprights 2. The rack bar issufficiently stout and rigid to resist the strain to which it issubjected when the brake is set and locked thereto.

A lever 8 is pivoted at its lower end at 9 to a strap iron 10, bolted orotherwise fastened to a side of the vehicle body or rack. The lever 8extends in an up- 1 Ward direction and is formed with an off-setinterme- This invention appertains to brake mechanism dediate of itsends to throw the upper portion inward so that the operating rod or bar11 may come between the seat springs and beneath the seat. The brakesetting rod or bar 12 has pivotal connection with the lever 8 and isconnected in the usual manner with the brake beam or'like part of thebrake mechanism. A spring 13 is interposed between the lever 8 and theterminal upright 2 and normally exerts a rearward pressure upon saidlever so as to force the brake shoes away from the wheels when the brakeis not applied. The spring 13 may be secured to either the lever or theupright, as found most advantageous.

A slide 14 is mounted upon the rack bar 7 and 001m prises similar sidepieces which are spaced apart and bolted or otherwise connected so as toform a space for reception of the rack bar without producing any bindingthereof. The side pieces, comprising the slide 14, consist of plates,the one having a front extension 15 and the other a similar rearextension 15, said extensions 15 having their lower edge portionsinwardly bent to provide lips 16 which underlap the lower edge of therack bar 7 and prevent vertical displacement of the slide. A fillingpiece 17 is interposed between the upper edge portions of the sidepieces and serves to properly space the same. A dog 18 is interposedbetween the lower edge portions of the side pieces below the lips 16 andserves in conjunction with the filling piece 17 to maintain the sidepieces or plates of the slide 14 a proper distance apart to preventtheir binding upon the sides of the rack bar 7. The dog 18 is providedwith an extension 19 adapted to be engaged by the foot so as to throwthe dog into engagement with a tooth of the rack bar so as to hold thebrake when set. The dog 18 is so pivoted as to normally cause itsengaging end to fall away from the toothed edge of the rack bar. Whenthe brake is set a pressure upon the extension 19 throws the dog 18 intoengagement with a tooth of the rack bar and thereby locks the brakewithout requiring especial care on the part of the driver to hold thebrake in active operation.

The operating rod or bar 11 has adjustable connection at its rear endwith the lever 8 and is preferably bifurcated or forked so as to embraceopposite sides of the lever and thereby equalize the pressure upon saidlever and the rod or bar 11. The forward end of the rod 11 is pivotallyconnected with the slide 14 and an extension 20 projects laterally fromthe front portion of said rod 11 to provide a rest for the foot of thedriver so that pressure may be applied for either setting or releasingthe brake, as may be required. Upon pushing the slide forward byapplication of force to the lateral extension or foot rest 20, a pullingforce is applied to the brake setting rod or bar 12, with the resultthat the brake is set, and upon applying pressure to the extension 19 ofthe dog 18, the latter is caused to engage with a tooth of the rack barand hold the brake in locked position. When it is required to releasethe brake, the slide is moved forward a slight distance to permitautomatic disengagement of the dog 18 from the rack bar, and upongradual withdrawal of the pressure from the foot rest 20, the brake ispermitted to correspondingly release its retarding action upon thevehicle wheels, as will be readily understood.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4, the dog 21 is differently arrangedand is acted upon by means of a spring 22, so as to automatically engagewith the teeth of the rack bar. When it is required to release thebrake, it is necessary to press upon the extension of the dog 21 so asto repress the spring 22 and thereby permit the slide 14 to moverearward and the brake shoes to fall away from the vehicle wheels in themanner well understood.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In brake mechanism, the combination of a fixed rack bar, a slidemounted thereon and comprising similar side I pieces each having an endportion bent inward to engage with an edge of the rack bar, a fillingpiece interposed between said plates to engage with the opposite edge ofthe rack bar, a dog fitted to the said slide to engage with the teeth ofthe rack bar and hold the slide in an adjusted position, and connectingmeans between said slide and a brake element.

2. 1n brake mechanism, the combination of a fixed rack bar, a slidemovable upon the rack bar and comprising similar side pieces havingopposite end extensions inwardly projected to engage an edge portion ofthe rack bar, a filling piece interposed between the said side pieces toengage with the opposite edge of the rack bar, a dog pivoted to theslide and arranged between the aforesaid opposite inwardly projectedextensions thereof, and connecting means between the slide and a brakeelement.

3. In brake mechanism, the combination of a fixed rack bar, a slidemounted thereon and comprising similar side pieces, each having anextension, the extension of one side piece being at the front and theother at the rear and said extensions having portions extended inward toengage with the rack bar and limit movement of the slide in onedirection, means applied to the slide to make positive engagement withthe rack bar and hold the slide in an adjusted.position, and connectingmeans between the slide and brake member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnessesTHOMAS J. STEPHENS. [L. 5.]

Witnesses Josnrrr .l. NIcrroLs, FRANK W. BOGARTII.

